The annual Gologo Invitation high school junior basketball tournament tips off Thursday at the SkyDome.
The host St. Albert Skyhawks play the Salisbury Sabres at 4:30 p.m. in the four-team women’s draw. Each team plays three games in the round robin format.
The Skyhawks, the two-time reigning metro Edmonton division one junior champions, also hoop it up at Vincent J. Maloney School at 5:45 p.m. Friday against the Edmonton Christian Lions and 11 a.m. Saturday against the St. Francis Xavier Rams.
In the eight-team junior men’s bracket at the SkyDome the Skyhawks are in action Friday against the Strathcona Christian Academy Eagles at 9 a.m.
Saturday the semifinals are 11 a.m. and 12:45 p.m., the consolation final is 2:30 p.m., the third-place game is 4:15 p.m. and the final is 6 p.m.
The top contenders include the Harry Ainlay Titans, O’Leary Spartans, Bev Facey Falcons and Holy Trinity Trojans.
Next week metro league play starts in the junior men’s and women’s divisions.
Meanwhile, the Paul Kane junior men’s and women’s teams are in Stony Plain this weekend for a tournament at Memorial Composite High School.
In the 2014 metro division two finals the lady Blues won the championship and the Paul Kane men finished as the runners-up.
The St. Albert Skyhawks are returning to the REB Invitational to defend their senior and junior championships next week at the 33rd annual tournament at Jasper Place High School.
The first game for the Skyhawks in the 12-team senior women’s bracket is Thursday’s quarter-final against the Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Clippers or Evan Hardy of Saskatoon at 9 p.m.
Last year the Skyhawks knocked off the Raymond Comets 70-69 in the final.
At the 4A provincials the Comets won gold and the Skyhawks were awarded bronze.
In the six-team junior women’s bracket the Skyhawks grace the hardwood at 9 p.m. Thursday against the Bev Facey Falcons.
Last year the junior Skyhawks defeated the Chatham (Ont.) Kent Secondary Golden Hawks 77-58 for their third tournament title of the season.
The Paul Kane Blues are also competing at the REB tournament. Thursday the lady Blues play William Aberhart Orange of Calgary at 3:45 p.m. and the Paul Kane men and Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Rams tangle at 5:30 p.m. in the 12-team draw.
Last season lady Blues reached the metro division one semifinals and at the 4A provincials as the third Edmonton rep they won the consolation final.
Visit www.rebinvitational.com for schedules and results.
Next week the Sturgeon Spirits host their annual Rise Up tournament.
The format features eight men’s and eight women’s teams.
The Sturgeon and Bellerose Bulldogs are represented in both divisions and the Morinville Lady Wolves are also entered.
The men’s draw includes North Peace Secondary School of Fort St. John, B.C. and a team from Regina.
The tournament kicks off Thursday at noon between Sturgeon and the Memorial Marauders in the women’s bracket.
The Sturgeon men and Memorial meet at 2 p.m., followed by the Wolves and O’Leary Spartans at 4 p.m. and the lady Bulldogs versus the Louis St. Laurent Barons at 6 p.m.
Friday at 2 p.m. the Bellerose men battle Regina.
At the 17th annual Mike Dea Classic the Sturgeon women finished 1-2 as the consolation finalists in the 12-team draw at St. Francis Xavier High School. They lost to the host Rams in the tournament opener, defeated the Prince George Secondary Polars and in Saturday’s consolation final fell short against Holy Trinity of Okotoks.
Last season the Sturgeon men won the consolation final at the 3A championship as the first basketball team from the Namao high school to make it to provincials.
Visit www.sturgeoncomp.ca for tournament updates.
